New EU 'handling fee' due to come in will 'likely' apply to each item within a parcel
A new EU customs handling fee, expected to be around €2, is set to apply to individual items within parcels arriving from outside the EU starting in November. This charge will be in addition to existing customs fees, potentially increasing costs for e-commerce shoppers.
Why it matters
The change represents a significant shift in EU customs policy that will impact the cost and complexity of international online shopping for consumers.
A NEW HANDLING fee to be imposed from November on parcels ordered from outside the European Union will likely apply to each item within a package, a customs compliance expert has warned.
The new fee, which is designed to cover costs associated with customs processing, will likely be €2, but the exact details haven’t been released yet.
The fee will be on top of the €3 customs charge which has applied to every unique item in orders worth €150 or less coming from outside the EU since 1 July, a charge imposed in a bid to improve EU security and level the playing field for businesses.
Customs compliance expert Brian Murphy told The Journal that it’s “very likely” the new handling fee will also be placed on individual items in the parcel.
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